ST. PAUL, Minnesota – Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday called on the Minnesota Legislature to protect pre-kindergarten programs from being eliminated for 4,000 students at more than 59 school districts and charter schools across the state, including Austin and Lyle public schools.

These schools stand to lose state funding unless the Legislature takes action to protect pre-kindergarten investments for Minnesota four-year-olds.

Dayton’s Budget for a Better Minnesota would secure permanent pre-kindergarten funding for 59 school districts and charter schools, which were only provided temporary funding by the Legislature last session.

In this school year, Austin received $341,911 in one-time funding for the program, while Lyle received $107,734, according to the governor’s office.

“Voluntary pre-Kindergarten programs have given more than 6,100 Minnesota four-year-olds the high-quality early learning opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life,” Dayton said. “We cannot let these programs expire for 4,000 kids, their younger siblings, and their families. I urge the Legislature to work with me this session to ensure these programs continue for thousands of children and families across Minnesota.”

In addition to preventing the elimination of pre-kindergarten programs, Dayton’s budget proposal would also increase the funding by five percent each year to help thousands more four-year-olds attend free, voluntary pre-Kindergarten in the future.

Last year, Dayton called for $175 million in permanent funding to ensure every Minnesota child could attend high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten programs, free of cost.

The Legislature only agreed to provide $50 million in one-time funding.

Across the state, 6,100 four-year-olds are attending free, voluntary pre-kindergarten this year in 109 school districts.

However, because the Legislature only provided one-time funding last year, 59 of those school districts and charter schools would lose state funding if the Legislature does not agree to make that funding permanent, and 4,000 kids each year would lose out on the great starts they need in school.